ENCOD MARKS THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF CHAKIB'S IMPRISONMENT

Since February 18, 2009 Chakib El Khayari, president of the Human Rights Association of the Rif region in Morocco has been serving a 3 years prison term for ’offending the Moroccan state’.

In 2008, Chakib initiated a successfull debate on the legalisation of hemp for industrial and medicinal purposes in Morocco.

Chakib El Khayari is known throughout the world for his defense of the cultural rights of the Amazigh people and the African migrants who travel through the region on a daily basis, on their way to Europe. He is also known for his declarations to the press in which he has denounced the active collaboration of Moroccan police and army in the illegal trafficking of hashish to Europe

On the second anniversary of his detention, we ask you to help putting pressure on the Moroccan authorities so that Chakib El Khayari is released as soon as possible.
Currently activists in Paris and Brussels are preparing manifestations and presentations of a public letter to the Moroccan King at the Moroccan Embassies on resp. Thursday 17 and Friday 18 February

Please also send a copy to your Member of European Parliament (see below for a list of members of the EP - delegation with the Maghreb) asking them to act in support of Chakibs release.

Thanks for your help!

Best wishes

Joep

--
EUROPEAN COALITION FOR JUST AND EFFECTIVE DRUG POLICIES

Ploegstraat 27 – 2018 Antwerpen - Belgium

Tel. + 32 (0)495 122644

E-mail: [email protected] / www.encod.orgSince February 18, 2009 Chakib El Khayari, president of the Human Rights Association of the Rif region in Morocco has been serving a 3 years prison term for ’offending the Moroccan state’.

In 2008, Chakib initiated a successfull debate on the legalisation of hemp for industrial and medicinal purposes in Morocco

Chakib El Khayari is known throughout the world for his defense of the cultural rights of the Amazigh people and the African migrants who travel through the region on a daily basis, on their way to Europe. He is also known for his declarations to the press in which he has denounced the active collaboration of Moroccan police and army in the illegal trafficking of hashish to Europe

See also Amnesty International’s latest call for Chakibs release

On the second anniversary of his detention, we ask you to help putting pressure on the Moroccan authorities so that Chakib El Khayari is released as soon as possible.

Thanks for signing and sending this open letter to

His Majesty Mohamed VI, King of Morocco

Royal palace

Rabat, Morocco

With a copy to the Moroccan embassy in your country

And to your Member of European Parliament (see below for a list of members of the EP - delegation with the Maghreb)

18 February 2011

Your Majesty,

The sole purpose of this letter is to ask you to release Chakib El-Khayari, a human rights activist, unjustly condemned and imprisoned in Morocco since 2009.

Chakib El-Kheyari, President of the Human Rights Association of the Rif region and member of the Federal Council of the Global Conference of the Amazigh (CMA), was arrested by the Moroccan police on 18 February 2009 in his house in Nador. He has then been condemned by the court of Casablance to prison term of 3 years and to a fine of 753930 DH (or 68000 €) for the following motives :

«offense of the institutions», due to his public statements on the involvement of high ranking officials in the police, the army and the government ;

As a Human Rights activist, Chakib El-Kheyari has not done other than his duty to draw the attention of all concerned parties on the serious irregularities committed by the state services responsible for the fight against corruption and illegal trafficking of hashish. In the same time, he has not ceased to alert the public opinion on...